The briefing note prepared for Finance Minister Bill Morneau examines the types of households — by income, age and region — most affected by the central bank’s rate-hiking path from extremely low levels.

The September 2017 document obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act puts a particular focus on how rising rates will boost debt payments for highly indebted households, which are described as those with debt-to-income levels of at least 350 per cent.

The memo says 12 per cent of all Canadian households carry these heavy debt loads and are most likely to be middle-income earners, young to middle-aged, mortgage holders, and live in Ontario and British Columbia.

The Bank of Canada recently raised its trend-setting interest rate for the fourth time in a year to bring the benchmark to 1.5 per cent, its highest level since December 2008, but still low by historical standards.